The Chicago Blackhawks have been struggling to figure things out this season, being in the basement of the NHL standings. They have some young talent, but will be without one of those players for an unknown amount of time. Let’s take a closer look at who suffered an injury and what it means going forward.

Chicago Blackhawks rookie Artyom Levshunov suffers a left hand fracture

Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill talked to the media on Sunday and gave an update on one player’s status. He mentioned that rookie defenseman Artyom Levshunov suffered a hand fracture and there’s no timetable for his return. The injury took place on Tuesday against the New York Islanders, and he was able to play through it for two games. However, after more imaging was done, the injury was diagnosed as a fracture and took Levshunov out of the lineup.

Levshunov has been struggling a bit to find his footing in the NHL. The second pick in the 2024 NHL Draft has played in 86 career games and recorded 30 points (two goals, 28 assists) thus far. He had not seen any drop in usage, averaging 19:35 of ice time per game. The rookie has some outstanding tools, but they also need him to live up to the hype.

However, he has shown signs ofn the power play, with his ability to be a top defenseman. With nine games remaining in the regular season and no playoffs once again, it will be intriguing to see if the Blackhawks decide to shut down Levshunov for the remainder of the season. Chicago has the most cap space in the NHL this offseason, so getting some players to help him mature into the player he is projected to be will be interesting.

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The Chicago Blackhawks are already shorthanded without Connor Bedard, who was placed on injured reserve on Monday.

More News: Blackhawks have worse injury news for Connor Bedard amid MRI

On Tuesday, the Blackhawks punished a young player before their contest Tuesday agains the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Chicago is falling in the wild card race amid Bedard’s (separated shoulder) injury. The third-year center is not expected to be reevaluated until at least Jan. 1.

Per Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN, Blackhawks Jeff Blashill is making Artyom Levshunov a healthy scratch on Tuesday night after he showed up late to practice on Monday.

Chicago Blackhawks HC Jeff Blashill takes a stand

More News: How the Blackhawks plan to survive without Connor Bedard

“Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill called out Artyom Levshunov during practice yesterday for being late to the rink,” Roumeliotis posted on X. “So if he’s a healthy scratch tonight, it’s likely more for disciplinary reasons than performance-based.

“Blashill confirms Artyom Levshunov’s healthy scratch tonight is because he was late to the rink yesterday.”

Chicago head coach Jeff Blashill confirms Artyom Levshunov’s healthy scratch tonight is because he was late to the rink yesterday. #Blackhawks https://t.co/rePCeSgDk5

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) December 16, 2025

Levshunov, the No. 2 pick in the 2024 draft, has 14 points this season with one goal and 13 assists. He’s the sixth in points for Chicago.

Levshunov will be a huge miss for the Blackhawks with Bedard out.

Blashill was reportedly unhappy with Levshunov and several players during Monday’s practice. He yelled at a group of players for not being alert during the workout.

Blashill yelled an expletive at Levshunov for being late to practice.

There might be a discipline problem in Chicago.

Unfortunately for the Blackhawks, their leader is out for at least a few weeks. It’ll be important that the youth on Chicago steps up to face adversity as the team is without Bedard against a grueling schedule.

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In 2024, the Chicago Blackhawks picked Artyon Levshunov with the second overall pick in the draft to add to their growing pile of prospects. So far, he’s only played sparingly in the NHL, but how has he done? What might the future hold for him and the Hawks? One insider has the details.

NHL analyst checks in on Chicago Blackhawks’ top prospect

The Chicago Blackhawks have slowly compiled a group of interesting young players and prospects as they try and rebuild the team. Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar have become standouts at the NHL level, and it might not be long before Artyom Levshunov joins them.

“[He] split his season between the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs and the Chicago Blackhawks last season,” Bleacher Report’s Hannah Stewart said. “And in his 18 NHL games, he was averaging around 20 minutes a night, even managing six assists. That’s a significant workload for a rookie call-up.”

Stewart said the rookie played with “composure and polish,” and that his skating, shooting, and passing are already at NHL level. He doesn’t have much evolution to do there. Of course, a rookie prospect will always have rough moments, which he did, but everything looks positive so far.

As for the future, Stewart said, “Two of the biggest things we want to see from Levshunov this season are continued development of his decision-making in the moment and to harness the breakout skills that we saw him hone with the IceHogs and use them in the NHL.”

She also noted that his underrated playmaking abilities need to be on display more this season. Stewart called him “practically factory-made to play in the NHL” thanks to all the different tools he has. Eventually, those could coalesce into a very good NHL player for the Blackhawks.

The Hawks are taking a nontraditional rebuild route this year, opting not to sign any veterans and to mostly use their young players and prospects to fill out the team. That was the intention, but it undoubtedly means more ice time for Levshunov, which might be a great sign for his development.

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There have been more reports on the Chicago Blackhawks misses in the head coaching cycle this offseason than traction on who the front office has spoken to. Five coaching vacancies across the NHL have been filled, with Chicago’s opening being one of the four left in this cycle. This is the biggest hire that the organization has had to make in quite some time, with the rebuild looking to take a sharp turn for the better this fall.

The team finished this past season strong, with a bunch a young faces make their way up to the NHL level and signing their entry-level deals toward the end of the campaign. The front office is fully aware that they need to being in a guy that can command the dressing room while establishing a winning culture right away. While the Blackhawks haven’t been able to land some of the bigger names on the market so far, there are still some solid options available to them.

A recent report shows that Chicago attempted at making a swing at another big name collegiate head coach next to their efforts at bringing in David Carle.  

The Chicago Blackhawks were interested in Adam Nightingale

Per insider Elliotte Freidman, the Blackhawks reportedly had interest in Michigan State head coach, Adam Nightingale earlier on this offseason. The report later detailed the fact that Nightingale doesn’t have any intention of leaving the college ranks right now, similar to what happened with Carle at Denver University.

Nightingale has been the head coach at Michigan State for the past three seasons, and has posted a 65-39-9 record in his time leading the program so far. He was the Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2024, and has led the Spartans to the NCAA tournament in each of the last two seasons. Nightingale has done a nice job taking over the MSU program and has turned it around in a strong way, and their place at the top of the Big Ten conference should be locked in for years to come.

Adam Nightingale would have fit the Chicago Blackhawks well

The vision for the Blackhawks have interest in Nightingale makes a ton of sense. Similar to Carle, he is younger and has had success at the collegiate level while working with future NHL talent. The 45-year-old coached Chicago’s number two overall draft choice last summer, Artyom Levshunov, in his lone season in East Lansing. Nightingale is growing something special at Michigan State, so him wanting to stay there shouldn’t been seen as a shot taken at the Blackhawks or any other NHL organization that might have had interest in him taking over behind their bench.

General manager Kyle Davidson reportedly met with former Red Wings head coach, Jeff Blashill, regarding the teams opening. Many believe he is the front-runner for the position at the moment, but nothing is set in stone. The decision could be made by the front office to fill the vacancy as soon as next week.

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Much of the Chicago Blackhawks’ front office will have their attention locked in on the draft lottery that will be conducted next Monday, May 5. The team will be getting another top-four pick just like they had a season ago when they finished 31st in the league standings. Last year’s lottery stayed true to form and not a single team moved up or down in the drawing. That doesn’t happen often, as they Blackhawks just missed out on Boston University phenom Macklin Celebrini at this time last year.

Chicago stood pat at the second selection last summer and used it to select Artyom Levshunov out of Michigan State. The big right-shot defenseman earned a call up to the NHL after beginning this past season down in Rockford and looked comfortable in the 18 games he appeared in with the Blackhawks.

When looking at what young names might come up to the surface on the trading front this summer across the league, one of Levshunov’s old teammates at Michigan State could be in conversations. Due to a surplus of blue liners in the Blackhawks’ system, they could become instant contenders to trade for this stellar forward prospect.

The Chicago Blackhawks should target Isaac Howard

Isaac Howard not signing his entry-level deal following his second season at Michigan State and his third at the collegiate level was shocking to most of the hockey world. He was a first-round draft choice of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2021 and many people figured he would turn pro after another fantastic campaign with the Spartans.

Howard scored 26 goals and added 26 assists for 52 total points in the 37 games he played at Michigan State this past season. His first season with the Spartan program came after he transferred from Minnesota-Duluth upon the conclusion of his Freshman year.

The 21-year-old has been apart of Team USA and their developmental program since the 2020-21 season and is well known throughout the hockey community as a guy who has all of the tools to be a very good pro. It is made out to believe that Howard wanted to sign and immediately burn the first year of his entry-level deal with Tampa Bay this season, which is something that organization typically doesn’t go for. This could have created a riff in negotiations that led to Howard returning to Michigan State for his final year at the collegiate level.

Isaac Howard would be more depth for the Chicago Blackhawks

If Howard and the Lightning can’t see eye-to-eye, there is reason to believe his rights could be shopped over the summer. The Blackhawks would never turn down more forward depth in their system, especially if it’s for a talent like Howard. The former first-round pick would offer more scoring for young guys like Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar while giving the new coaching staff another option to work into the fray down the road.

Chicago has a surplus of young left-shot defensemen that they could use as trade bait with Tampa Bay, along with plenty of draft picks that they could dish out. Howard played his youth hockey in the Shattuck St. Mary’s program, which happens to be the same spot where Blackhawks’ franchise icon Jonathan Toews played his youth hockey.

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With the Chicago Blackhawks finishing at the bottom of the league standings for another season, the highlight of their year is coming up next week. The NHL draft lottery is set for next Monday, May 5 to determine where the Blackhawks will be selecting with their first of two choices in the opening round of the draft in June. The team finished 31st in the league in points for a second consecutive season, meaning they are guaranteed another top-four pick.

Chicago has the second-best odds at landing the top pick behind the San Jose Sharks once again. Fans were hopeful that they would leapfrog the Sharks last year in the lottery to have the chance at pairing Connor Bedard with another young phenom in Macklin Celebrini. Instead, the order did not change pre-lottery, and the Sharks got to select the Boston University star with the top pick.

This year’s draft lottery presents an interesting spot to be in. While winning the lottery in each of the last two seasons was the obvious prize, this year appears to be a bit different for a team in Chicago’s shoes.

Matthew Schaefer would be the top pick for the Chicago Blackhawks

The top prospect in this year’s draft is Matthew Schaefer from the Erie Otters of the OHL. He is a left-shot defenseman, which puts Chicago in an awkward spot if they win the lottery. While they are a bunch of high quality forwards in this draft class, it would be hard to pass on a talent like Schaefer if they win the lottery.

There is no denying that Schaefer would be an excellent addition to Chicago’s loaded blue line of young talent right now. Him, Alex Vlasic, Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel would instantly be one of the strongest top-four of a defensive core in the league down the road. However, there is a pressing need that Chicago should address in this draft with their premier pick.

Chicago really needs another top end talent to pair up front with Bedard. Levshunov made sense in last year’s draft with the second overall pick, but the forward talent in this year’s class could help the incoming third year pro a ton.

There is no saying that that front office won’t take a forward if they win the lottery, but they don’t need to win this one as bad as they have needed to in the previous two years. Plus, if Chicago wins the lottery next week, they can’t do so for another five seasons. Even though they shouldn’t be in the discussion next year, it wouldn’t hurt having somewhat of a chance if they are in the lottery again, which is likely.

The Chicago Blackhawks would likely prefer Michael Misa

The Blackhawks and Michael Misa are truly a match made in heaven. The forward has spent the last two seasons with the Saginaw Spirit in the OHL where he has put up gaudy numbers in each year with the team. Misa scored 62 goals and added 72 assists for 134 total points in 65 games.

Chicago needs another guy in their core that is a true game changer and can score at will. Misa brings that to the table and would be a perfect scoring compliment to Bedard in every way. Unlike certain forward prospects in their pool, Misa is a bigger player. He is six-foot-one and has a bit of a physical edge to his game thanks to his size. He is without a doubt the top forward in this draft, and Chicago could look to take him if they win the lottery no matter what.

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The Chicago Blackhawks have a good problem on their hands entering camp at the end of the summer in regards to their defensive group. They entered this past year with a handful of veterans on the blue line, but that has changed drastically heading into the offseason. Multiple defensemen in the organization under the age of 23 either made their NHL debuts this year or saw frequent ice time that forced a few veterans out of the lineup on a nightly basis.

The last three roster spots on the blue line will be fought for harder in camp at the end of the summer compared to previous seasons. Based on what the organization has at the NHL level right now and in Rockford, the fringe defensemen come at a much higher number than usual. This doesn’t include any marginal additions that general manager Kyle Davidson might make in free agency, which should be taken into account as well.

One of the Blackhawks’ former top draft choices looked solid in his first NHL action this past season, but it might not be enough to keep him around for the long haul.

Nolan Allan put together a solid shortened season in Chicago

Nolan Allan was Chicago’s first-round pick in the 2021 draft, as he went 32nd overall. He made the opening night roster in Utah back in October and had a lengthy stint with the team before he was sent down to Rockford at the end of February.

Allan logged 43 games at the NHL level this past season and collected his first career goal to go along with seven assists. The 21-year-old had a plus/minus rating of -13 and was noticed as one of the top rookie defensemen across the league at the quarter way mark of the campaign.

In his time with the IceHogs in the regular season, Allan played in 20 games. He posted two goals and four assists with a 0 plus/minus rating. Allan’s game remained consistent to close out the regular season and he’s a staple on Rockford’s blue line in the Calder Cup playoffs.

Nolan Allan’s path to consistent ice time will be difficult

With the Blackhawks having two left-shot defensive spots truly up for grabs in camp as of right now. Alex Vlasic has the top pair locked in and there is a solid chance that the front office brings in a veteran that will actually be worthy of playing time every night.

This leaves Allan competing for the last position (and the seventh defenseman on the roster) with the likes of Ethan Del Mastro, Kevin Korchinski and Wyatt Kaiser. There is no saying that Allan is not capable of winning one of the two potential openings on the roster to begin this upcoming season, but it will not be easy for him.

If the Blackhawks front office does not see a path for Allan down the road to be a consistent part of the future, trading him could certainly be a possibility. He offers plenty of upside and put together a solid stint at the NHL level before being sent down and he kept that momentum going in Rockford. The organization could look to flip him for a forward prospect who is in a similar situation of being involved in a position log jam for a change of scenery.

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Even though the Chicago Blackhawks’ season came to an end last week, there is still hockey to be played within the organization that means something. The Rockford IceHogs begin their quest for the Calder Cup in the AHL on Wednesday against the Chicago Wolves at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont. They finished the season with a 31-33-6-2 record and will get the final two games in this best-of-three series at home on Friday and Sunday of this week.

Plenty of Blackhawks prospects have spent at least part of the season down in the AHL, and a few were eligible to return to the Hogs for the playoffs. A notable name that began his season down in Rockford, who made a ton of noise at the end of the season in Chicago, is Frank Nazar. The former first-round draft pick netted a goal in the Blackhawks’ final three games of the campaign and was one of the top scoring rookies once the calendar flipped to 2025.

While Nazar isn’t with the IceHogs this week in their playoffs, two marquee defensemen were sent down to continue their seasons with the team.

Chicago Blackhawks’ blue liners are down in Rockford for the playoffs

Artyom Levshunov and Kevin Korchinski are playing in the Calder Cup playoffs this year after both blue liners spent most of their respective seasons with the team. Levshunov was the second overall pick of the 2024 draft and signed his entry-level deal last summer instead of returning to Michigan State for a second season of college hockey.

Before getting the call to spend the final 18 games of the season in the NHL, Levshunov logged 52 games with the IceHogs this year. The right-shot defenseman had five goals and 17 assists in AHL action this year to go with his 0 plus/minus rating. The Blackhawks’ coaching staff was really impressed with what Levshunov brought to the table and how much of an impact he made from the jump in his time at the NHL level this year.

In 18 games with the Blackhawks, he had six assists and a -13 plus/minus rating. Levshunov is still looking for his first NHL goal, and while his plus/minus mark was not outstanding, he earned a lot of ice time and even a spot on the power play unit early on in his stint with the team.

Kevin Korchinski will need to fight for his roster spot this summer

Korchinski needs more ice time this season badly, and the playoffs are a perfect opportunity for him to get more work in. After spending all of last season in the NHL because he didn’t have AHL eligibility in his contract, the top-ten draft pick in 2022 played 56 games with the IceHogs this year.

The 20-year-old’s AHL numbers weren’t bad by any stretch this season, as he had three goals, 24 helpers, and a -17 plus/minus rating. In his two stints with the Blackhawks this year, Korchinski looked more confident each time he stepped on the ice. Despite this, he is still very raw and needs to tighten up his game badly. With Chicago having depth in the defensive group this season, Korchinski was a healthy scratch multiple times.

This summer will be important for Korchinski, as it won’t be easy to crack the opening night roster out of camp this season. With other young left-shot defensemen like Ethan Del Mastro and Nolan Allan having stong seasons in the organization, Korchinski will need to stand out to avoid beginning another season in Rockford.

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A strong blend of younger and older talent has closed out this season for the Chicago Blackhawks, and they have given fans plenty to be excited about for next year. Their record has them finishing second-to-last in the NHL just like a season ago, but the two teams could not have been more different.

The last month of this season has featured a much more competitive on-ice product compared to the previous few years. With a harder slate of opponents, the Blackhawks have been close in many more tilts than they would have been at the beginning of the season.

While veteran forward Pat Maroon was already nominated by the Blackhawks’ media members for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, another nomination needed to be made by the organization. The team’s King Clancy Trophy nominee for the campaign was announced on Tuesday, and it comes as no surprise to anybody.

Connor Murphy is the Chicago Blackhawks’ Clancy Trophy nominee

Murphy was officially announced as Chicago’s King Clancy Trophy nominee for the year on Tuesday. This is the fifth straight season where the 32-year-old has received this honor, and it is well deserved, per usual. The award is given out to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution to his community.

The veteran blue liner has been an alternate captain in Chicago for the past couple of seasons.  Based on recent results, it’s easy to see the impact that he and Nick Foligno have had on the young group in the dressing room right now.

This is Murphy’s eighth season as a Blackhawk after being a first-round draft choice of the Coyotes in 2011. He played in 68 games this season and logged two goals to pair with his 17 assists. For a team that had their fair share of blowouts earlier on in the season, Murphy’s plus/minus rating of -3 is a major positive to takeaway from a year where he missed 14 games.

The Chicago Blackhawks need Connor Murphy around next year

Despite younger right-shot blue-liners getting called up and receiving significant minutes this season, it is important to keep Murphy around the Windy City for the remainder of his contract. He is set to take home $4.4 million per year for the next two seasons, which will help the organization in multiple ways. In the short-term, it allows for the front office to reach the cap floor, and it gives them a strong leader to continually be there for the youth movement coming through the pipeline.

Sam Rinzel and Artyom Levshunov each came up in the final month of the campaign, and they both were extremely impressive in their first run at the NHL level. Murphy was bumped down to the third pairing because of this, but he still found a way to contribute.

Whether it’s working with the two younger right-shot defensemen or any potential player as a blue liner partner, Murphy can be the true veteran in the group to help out the plethora of talent just getting used to life in the NHL. With Seth Jones being dealt at the deadline and Alec Martinez retiring, Murphy is the last older defenseman left on the team.

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Monday night’s victory in Montreal included another debut for a highly regarded Chicago Blackhawks’ prospect this season. Ryan Greene officially signed his entry-level contract with the organization on Sunday after his Boston University squad lost in the National Championship against Western Michigan less than 24 hours before.

Greene was a second-round pick of the Blackhawks in the 2022 draft. He chose to play three seasons at the collegiate level before officially turning pro, which appears to have been his best route. The forward’s point total in each of his three seasons as a Terrier went up, and he finished this past year with 13 goals and 25 assists for a total of 38 points in 40 games.

The 21-year-old will have to wait until the fall to make his NHL debut, as the team’s final two games of the campaign are being played in Canada. Chicago took home the 4-3 victory in Greene’s debut in a playoff-like atmosphere at the Bell Centre in Montreal. The newest member of the Blackhawks learned plenty in his first NHL game and shared his debut with a fellow newcomer to the league.

Ivan Demidov outshined Ryan Greene’s debut

Unfortunately for Greene, he didn’t have the most impactful debut in Monday night’s contest. Ivan Demidov burst onto the scene by scoring his first career NHL goal, and he even collected an assist to begin his time as a professional hockey player. The Blackhawks passed on Demidov in last summer’s draft by selecting defenseman Artyom Levshunov from Michigan State.

Despite Greene’s debut being relatively quiet on the stat sheet, he learned how different the pace of play is at the NHL level compared to his time at Boston University the last three seasons.

“Decisions are made quicker, Greene said. “You’ve got to know your next play before you get the puck, so it took me a little bit to adjust to that.”

Greene finished the game with his ice time being 12:09, and he didn’t register a shot on goal or a hit. It was clear that the former second-round pick was up for the challenge of keeping up with a playoff-caliber squad in his debut. Greene’s speed was on par with those around him, and he didn’t look out of place, which is a positive sign that the new coaching staff can use as momentum with him this offseason.

The Chicago Blackhawks hope Ryan Greene’s play style will translate

Even though Greene has a scoring touch and can set up those around him with opportunities, the physical style that he brings to the table will keep him around the NHL level for as long as possible. It’s already known that he projects as a bottom-six forward for the Blackhawks down the road, but he will have lots of competition for those roster spots.

Greene will have to stand out to Chicago’s front office to stick around, and having leadership traits from his time at Boston will certainly help his cause. He served as a co-captain for the Terriers this past season and was a known leader in the program at the beginning of his sophomore campaign.

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The Chicago Blackhawks finished their home schedule this season on a sour note with a loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday. The Jets clinched the top spot in the league standings on Sunday, bringing home the Presidents’ Trophy. With that being said, the Blackhawks playing them as well as they did on Saturday shows immense growth and how far they have come as a group since the season began back in October.

The organization has a guaranteed top-four pick in the draft this summer, which will only add to their loaded prospect pool that has seen many members make their NHL debuts this season. The main three to note are defensemen Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel along with forward Oliver Moore. Former second round pick Ryan Greene will be the latest to join the fray in making his debut in a Blackhawks sweater on Monday night at the Bell Centre against the Canadians.

Chicago’s crop of young forwards have elevated the team’s pace of play to close out the season. Another former first round draft choice that made his debut around this time last year has performed well to end the campaign and will look to take this momentum into the summer.

Frank Nazar is finishing the season strong for the Chicago Blackhawks

Frank Nazar has six points over his last six games and recorded his fifth multi-point game of the season on Saturday. The former Michigan Wolverine has three goals and three helpers in those last six games, which includes a two-point effort against the Jets in Chicago’s final home game of the year.

Nazar has two of his five multi-point games this year in April, with the other coming in the 5-3 loss on the road against the Capitals on April 3. The 21-year-old has 10 goals and 13 assists for 23 total points in 51 games this year. While this may seem rather disappointing for Nazar, his season numbers don’t tell the entire story.

He has picked up steam down the stretch, with six of his 23 points on the campaign coming in April. A major point of emphasis for Nazar in his training this offseason will be shooting as many pucks as possible. The top-six forward on Chicago’s current roster has received plenty of golden scoring chances over the past month and certainly wishes he’d have converted on more than he did. Nonetheless, there are plenty of positives to take away from his improvements this season as the youth movement enters another offseason.

The Chicago Blackhawks have other exciting young forwards

The speed that Moore has displayed in his brief time in the NHL has been extremely exciting. The 2023 first round draft choice is still searching for his first career goal, but he has definitely held his own in every other aspect of the game since making the transition from the NCAA.

Greene’s debut will be something for fans to keep a close eye on along with Tuesday night’s game in Ottawa. While this won’t be enough to judge how his style of play will translate to the NHL, people will get an idea of how he operates when being thrusted into a bottom-six forward spot on the roster.

Along with the potential draft picks from this summer, Sacha Boisvert and Marek Vanacker should hopefully join the organization at this time next year. Each forward thrived at their respective amateur stops this year and should be in a position to sign their entry-level deals following next season if all goes well.

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Monday and Tuesday mark the final two games of another disappointing season in this lengthy rebuild for the Chicago Blackhawks. The organization will finish 31st in the league standings for a second straight season, as they currently sit with a 23-46-11 record and 57 points. They will have the second best odds to win the draft lottery this year, with Matthew Schaefer and Michael Misa being the top two prospects up for grabs this summer.

The Blackhawks have debuted a handful of young players in the organization’s prospect pipeline this season. Most of these have come within the last month or so, and a majority of them were first round draft choices. General manager Kyle Davidson has seen six of the eight first round picks he has made over the past three drafts play in the NHL this season, with the other two selections not far behind the rest.

When the Blackhawks take on the Canadians Monday evening in Montreal, two more individuals will be making their NHL debuts as the season comes to a close. Another Chicago forward prospect will get his shot with the big club, and the Canadians’ top draft pick last year who was almost a Blackhawk will get to see NHL ice for the first time.

The Chicago Blackhawks almost drafted Ivan Demidov

Ivan Demidov officially signed his entry level contract last week with the Canadians after many assumed he would remain in Russia for at least another season. The forward was the fifth overall pick in the 2024 draft, but it was rumored for quite a while that Chicago had serious interest in selecting him with the second overall pick. The Blackhawks ended up going with defenseman Artyom Levshunov, who was played well to begin his NHL career after making his debut last month.

Demidov making his debut against Chicago is ironic to say the least. He is coming off a strong season for SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL, where he has been for parts of the last three seasons. Demidov scored 19 goals and added 30 assists for 49 total points in his 65 games this year. Montreal is a win away from clinching a playoff spot, and they can do so in his debut at home this evening.

Ryan Greene will make his NHL debut for the Chicago Blackhawks

Ryan Greene was a second round pick of the Blackhawks in the 2022 draft. The now 21-year-old has spent the last three seasons at Boston University after spending a couple of years with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL. Greene has improved in each of his three seasons at the collegiate level and earned a nod as one of the program’s co-captains for this past season.

The Terriers lost in the National Championship game against Western Michigan on Saturday night in a game that the Broncos dominated from start to finish. Greene didn’t waste any time signing his entry-level deal, as he agreed to terms with the Blackhawks on Sunday morning.

Greene will join Demidov in making his debut on Monday night at the Bell Centre. Based on scheduling this season, the forward will have to wait to make his United Center debut until next year. Greene had 38 points (13 goals, 25 assists) in 40 games at Boston University this past season. He is seen as a bottom-six forward for the Blackhawks down the road and will certainly get a fair shot at making the team out of camp this summer. Greene’s leadership qualities that he brings to the table will help his case as well.

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The young defensive core that has made it up to the Chicago Blackhawks blue line this season has given fans plenty of optimism for the future. This season began with the team having a handful of veterans on the defensive side of things, but that has since taken a turn since the trade deadline.

General manager Kyle Davidson finding a trade partner for Seth Jones got the ball rolling for giving out more minutes to the young defensemen in the Blackhawks’ system. Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel have made their NHL debuts this year and already look the part as the top two right-shot blue liners of the future.

Another young defenseman who saw his game grow a ton at the NHL level this season will be going down to Rockford ahead of their playoff run.

Chicago Blackhawks send Ethan Del Mastro to Rockford

Del Mastro was officially sent down to Rockford on Friday prior to the Blackhawks’ final home game of the season on Saturday against the Jets. The 22-year-old will head back to the AHL to help the IceHogs in their quest for a Calder Cup this season.

The 2021 fourth round draft choice played in 24 games at the NHL level this season. Del Mastro finished the season with two goals and four assists while posting a -3 plus/minus rating. He was with the team for most of the campaign, but struggled to draw into the lineup consistently when more veterans were healthy and active. Del Mastro made his NHL debut a year ago, where he logged two total games at the end of the season.

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The Chicago Blackhawks young defensive core is beginning to take shape after they started this season with one of the older units in the NHL. It has been another rough year in the organization’s rebuild, but the promising performances from all of the young faces on the roster has given fans hope for the future. On the offensive side if things, Connor Bedard has lit the lamp 20 times for the second straight season.

Bedard has received some reinforcements in the forward group while getting help from the veterans brought in by general manager Kyle Davidson this past summer. Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen have been consistent contributors in the top-six for the Blackhawks, and Ilya Mikheyev is quietly putting together the best season of his career on Bedard’s wing.

Unfortunately for Chicago’s front office, not every veteran signed over the summer panned out the way that they would have hoped for. One of the defenseman brought in on a multi-year deal has not played and over a month and his future with the franchise looks bleak.

TJ Brodie likely to be bought out by the Chicago Blackhawks

TJ Brodie hasn’t played in a game since the Blackhawks’ 6-3 win over Anaheim on March 1. Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun Times posted on X that he believes that the 34-year-old will be bought out by the organization this summer. Brodie has struggled mightily this season when given ice time, with many fans showing frustration over the fact that he was drawing into the lineup ahead of youngsters like Ethan Del Mastro and Nolan Allan.

In 54 games this year, Brodie has two goals and eight assists to go with his rough -18 plus/minus rating. It doesn’t help that the Blackhawks are at the bottom of the league’s standings, but his plus/minus rating being the second-lowest among active defenseman on the team makes it difficult to justify him getting back into the lineup over certain younger blue liners.

Brodie signed a two-year contract this offseason worth $7.5 million. His $3.75 million cap hit next season would be an easy salary for Chicago to eat, as they need help getting to the salary floor and moving off Brodie would allow for them so start younger defensemen to begin the campaign.

The Chicago Blackhawks young defensive core has shown promise

Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel have made their NHL debuts on the Blackhawks blue line over the last month and have looked strong to begin their professional careers. Levshunov was the 2024 second overall pick and Rinzel went 25th overall in the 2022 draft. The pair will be the top-two right shot defensemen in Chicago for the foreseeable future, and someone like Brodie not drawing into the lineup has allowed for them to be on the active roster.

From the left side, Alex Vlasic leads the way in the group. The other two spots entering next season will be up for grabs, with a handful of players in competition to start the year in the NHL. Del Mastro, Allan, Kevin Korchinski and Wyatt Kaiser are all options for the new head coach to choose from along with any veterans that the front office might sign in free agency this summer.

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The Chicago Blackhawks are down to their final five games of the season and only one of them will be played at the United Center over the next eight days. With Sunday’s win at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins, it is likely that the team won’t drop below second-to-last in the league standings. This is the exact position that they finished a season ago in a draft lottery where the order did not change at all.

Chicago will hit the ice against the Penguins again on Tuesday, but this time it will be at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. The theme for that game will be similar to that of the past month or so surrounding the Blackhawks youth movement. The overall vibe around the team and culture has appeared to have shifted as of late and the rebuild has taken on a whole new direction.

The Blackhawks front office has made eight first round draft choices from the 2022-2024 drafts and six of them are now playing at the NHL level. While there is still plenty of work to do from a development standpoint, general manager Kyle Davidson has done well with his decisions so far.

The last 2022 first round selection of the Blackhawks made his debut over a week ago and has already impressed the current coaching staff in his short stint at the highest level.

Chicago Blackhawks bench boss impressed by Sam Rinzel

Interim head coach Anders Sorensen has loved what he has seen from Sam Rinzel so far in just four games, and it’s easy to see why.

“He’s mature, Sorensen said. “We really like the fact that he wants to have the puck. He takes control in shifts, and you see it in Arty (Levshunov) as well. They want it, and they want to get after it. [The Penguins] have some guys on the other side that do the same thing with (Erik) Karlsson and (Kris) Letang. You see that.”

Having the top two right-shot defenseman having any type of comparisons to the likes of Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang has to make Blackhawk fans excited for the future. Rinzel collected his first NHL point in Sunday’s win over the Penguins on a secondary assists. The former Minnesota Golden Gopher also finished the game with a +2 plus/minus rating which is the best mark he has posted through four career games.

Sam Rinzel will anchor the Chicago Blackhawks blue line next year

Rinzel coming in and getting over 20 minutes of ice time from the jump to begin his career is a telling sign that the organization already has plenty of trust that he will be a marquee player down the road. The 20-year-old has already worked himself into quarterbacking the top power-play unit, with his offensively ceiling being through the roof.

The scoring chances that Rinzel has generated for himself and those around him in four games has been extremely noticeable and good results will follow as he prepares to enter his first full NHL season in the fall. For a guy seen as a “project” when taken with the 25th overall pick in 2022, things have panned out nicely so far for Rinzel in the Blackhawks organization.

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The Chicago Blackhawks have called up plenty of young faces to make their NHL debuts this season, and their blue line has seen a complete transformation in personnel. Seth Jones was dealt to the Florida Panthers less than a week before the March 7 trade deadline, and the dominos began to fall, with young defensemen in the organization getting significant NHL minutes shortly after.

Artyom Levshunov debuted against the Avalanche on March 10 and has gotten comfortable playing at the highest level in his first legitimate stint with the Blackhawks. The 2024 second overall draft pick has five assists in 12 NHL games and is still searching for his first career goal. Levshunov is averaging just over 20 minutes of ice time per game to begin his time in the league, and Chicago’s interim head coach has high praise for his game while touching on things he needs to work on moving forward.

Chicago Blackhawks’ bench boss gives opinion on Artyom Levshunov

Interim head coach Anders Sorensen talked to the media about Levshunov’s first 12 games at the NHL level and what he is hoping to see from him with seven contests remaining on the schedule.

 “The reaction to transition, Sorensen said. “If we’re on offense, how quickly do we get back and react on defense? Where are the threats coming from? And keep working in his gaps. He’s a good skater; we have to get him holding his gaps even more.”

Levshunov was removed from the power play unit altogether in Wednesday night’s 3-2 loss in the shootout at home against Colorado. Dating back to his second career game just a handful of weeks ago, the former Michigan State Spartan was placed on the top line for man-advantage opportunities, but the coaching staff saw something they did not like on Wednesday.

Sam Rinzel has been impressive to begin his NHL career after signing his entry-level contract with the Blackhawks on March 29. He joins Levshunov on the right side of Chicago’s defensive future, and many believe that Rinzel has been the best blue liner on the ice outside of Alex Vlasic since he joined the team a week ago. Rinzel signed along with fellow Minnesota teammate and former first-round pick, Oliver Moore.

Artyom Levshunov has a bright future for the Chicago Blackhawks

Levshunov will be a legit defenseman for years to come in the Windy City. Him, Rinzel, and Vlasic are locked in as half of the defensive core for the next five-plus seasons. This allows the Blackhawks’ front office to go after forward prospects and free agents to get Connor Bedard all of the help he needs for the third year of his career.

Levshunov has been paired with multiple left shot defensemen early on in his young NHL career. He is expected to skate alongside Wyatt Kaiser in Sunday’s home matchup with the Penguins. Levshunov has worked plenty with Vlasic as well and could potentially be paired with Kevin Korchinski before the season comes to a close. Korchinski and Levshunov were paired up a handful of times this season under Sorensen with the Rockford Icehogs, and they could grow their games next to one another heading into the offseason.

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The Chicago Blackhawks coaching staff and front office have had a tough time deciding which defensemen to keep in the NHL on a nightly basis. The season began with the team having one of the league’s oldest defensive groups, but that has changed quickly over the last month. Trading Seth Jones to the Florida Panthers for goaltender Spencer Knight and a first-round pick got the ball rolling on bringing up the youth movement of blue line prospects in Chicago’s system.

Artyom Levshunov was the first of the crop to make his debut on March 10 against the Avalance on the road. The 2024 number two overall pick has settled in nicely to life in the NHL but still has improvement that needs to be made in his game.

Sam Rinzel made his NHL debut this past Sunday at home against Utah. He’s a right-shit defenseman like Levshunov, and the pair project to be a part of Chicago’s top-four defensemen for nearly the next decade. Other youngsters like Ethan Del Mastro, Nolan Allan, and Wyatt Kaiser have impressed at times this season as they too are beginning to find their footing at the highest level.

Another young defenseman spent most of this season down in Rockford after beginning his professional career last year with the Blackhawks. Now that he had options in his contract this season, it made the most sense to have him develop his game in the AHL this season.

Anders Sorensen has seen strides in Kevin Korchinski’s game

Kevin Korchinski has had two brief stints in Chicago this season after playing 76 games as a rookie a year ago. The 2022 first-round pick has gained a ton of confidence, and interim head coach Anders Sorensen has seen that.

“He’s calmed down, quieted down a little bit defensively,” Sorensen said. “Still room for improvement, for sure. We want him to be able to utilize his positive attributes: his skating and his offensive abilities and finding more touches in those areas that we can get him involved. That’s the biggest thing.”

The new Blackhawks’ bench boss has worked with Korchinski at both levels this year, as he was Rockford’s head coach before replacing Luke Richardson in December. Korchinski doesn’t have a point in the 11 games he has played with the Blackhawks this season and currently has a -11 plus/minus rating.

Sorensen made Korchinski a healthy scratch for Wednesday night’s home contest against Colorado in favor of Del Mastro, which caught some by surprise. Chicago has so many young defensemen that need NHL minutes to show the front office what they have. It makes decisions like those tough, but it doesn’t reflect negatively on Korchinski as a prospect whatsoever.

The Chicago Blackhawks need to figure out Korchinski’s future soon

With Alex Vlasic, Levshunov, and Rinzel locked into the Blackhawks’ blue line for the foreseeable future, it only leaves three everyday spots up for grabs. Korchinski will have to compete with Del Mastro, Allan, Kaiser, and any other veterans that the front office brings in to stay in the NHL next year.

With next year’s right side likely being Levshunov, Rinzel, and Connor Murphy, it leaves four young guys and potential veterans competing for the two open spots on the left side. Korchinski will have to prove his game on both ends this summer and into camp, or he could be a trade chip further down the line for general manager Kyle Davidson.

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Sunday was an important day for the Chicago Blackhawks, with two more former first-round picks making their NHL debuts in the United Center. Oliver Moore and Sam Rinzel signed their entry-level contracts with the organization on Saturday after their collegiate seasons at the University of Minnesota came to a crushing end in the NCAA tournament on Thursday.

The pair made their NHL debuts against Utah at home in the team’s 5-2 loss on Sunday. Rinzel was on the ice for 20:15, the second most time logged among Chicago defensemen. Moore put in just over 15 minutes and showed off his speed, which will translate well with how this team wants to operate moving forward.

The big question surrounding Moore and Rinzel is whether they’ll make the team out of camp this summer or begin next season with Rockford. This team will be certainly be harder to make this year compared to previous seasons, but an NHL insider believes that one of the two former Golden Gophers will never play an AHL game in his career.

Chicago Blackhawks Insider believes Sam Rinzel won’t go to AHL

NHL insider Frank Seravalli was straightforward when giving his thoughts on where Sam Rinzel stands entering next season.

“Sam Rinzel will not play a single game in the AHL,” Seravalli said. He projects to be a top pair NHL defenseman.”

For those who watched the entire game on Sunday, it was clear to see that Rinzel was one of the best, if not the best, defenseman that Chicago brought to the table. Many believe that Rinzel looks more polished than 2024 second overall pick Artyom Levshunov. This would make sense, as Rinzel is older than Levshunov and played an extra year of college hockey. However, the point is still an important one to monitor as it’s been assumed for the last year that Levshunov was the obvious number one right-shot defenseman of the future in Chicago.

Rinzel also mentioned that he learned plenty of things in his debut that came along with getting a couple of solid scoring chances.

“Learned a lot of things today,” Rinzel said. “Scoring is hard — that was one of them.”

The offensive game will be something to keep an eye on for Rinzel. He saw an uptick in his goal scoring this past season at Minnesota, as he found the back of the net 10 times and had 22 assists.

The Chicago Blackhawks’ defensive future looks extremely bright

The Chicago Blackhawks front office might have a good problem on their hands with the number of successful young blue-liners they have in their organization. Half of their future core is already locked in with Levshunov, Rinzel, and Alex Vlasic on the roster. Kevin Korchinski is another former first-round talent who is up with the team to finish off the season but will still have to prove over the summer that he can be a top-four defenseman with these three.

Ethan Del Mastro has played himself into the conversation of sticking around for the next few seasons, thanks to his play since February. He is just 22 years old and has developed his game nicely this season to a point where he stopped being shuttled back and forth between Rockford and the NHL. The 2021 first-round draft choice Nolan Allan might be the odd man out of the youth movement, as he has been down at the AHL level for over a month now.

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Growth is the important thing to look at with the Chicago Blackhawks as the team enters the final stretch of the 2024-2025 season. Despite the front office not moving off every veteran piece possible, plenty of young faces have gotten their chances to play significant minutes in the final stretch of the regular season.

The growing pains for each young player have certainly been there, but the coaching staff has reached a point where playing guys that will be a part of the team’s future is more beneficial than playing veterans. General manager Kyle Davidson did his due diligence by bringing in a slew of established players in free agency, but the results did not follow.

The goal for the Blackhawks this season was to get out of the league’s basement this season and their veteran adds were not enough to get them out of that hole. While Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen have been good to have for Chicago’s middle six this year, the younger pieces on the roster have taken a bit more time to develop and the other veteran signings did not bring much to the table.

When looking on the defensive side of things with the current roster, young names are all over the blue line. Six defenseman on the active group are 23 or younger which is super promising for the future. The team’s second overall draft choice this past summer has now played in eight games since being called up nearly three weeks ago and has looked strong in a bigger role than what was originally expected of him.

Chicago Blackhawks more impressed by Artyom Levshunov

Artyom Levshunov made his NHL debut on March 10 against the Colorado Avalanche on the road. He has four assists while still searching for his first NHL goal. Two of those assists for Levshunov came in Wednesday’s 4-2 loss to the Devils at the United Center. Interim head coach Anders Sorensen has seen Levshunov’s progression in such a short time at the NHL level.

“His progression has been good in a lot of areas,” Sorensen said. “Is he perfect? No. But…the progression’s been good.”

Just by watching Levshunov play one can tell that he carries himself with confidence. He relies heavily on his technique and always right with his assignment on the defensive end. He has rarely been a step behind in his coverages and plays much older than his age and experience shows.

Levshunov spent last year playing his lone season of collegiate hockey at Michigan State and was with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL (United States Hockey League) the year prior. It’s impressive to see Levshunov’s game grow along with his ability to adapt playing at three different levels in as many seasons.

Artyom Levshunov has already cemented himself

Levshunov has already received major ice time on the Blackhawks blue line. He has logged over 20 minutes of play in six of the eight games that he has seen action in so far. The former Spartan is quarterbacking the team’s top power play unit and was with the empty-net man-advantage unit late in the game against New Jersey on Wednesday night.

It’s clear to see that the front office and coaching staff are in lockstep with giving Levshunov as many opportunities as possible to get his footing in the NHL before the season comes to a close.

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The Chicago Blackhawks front office is continuing to shuffle up their defensive core with 10 games remaining this season. Injury problems on offensive and defensive units hasn’t made things easy on general manager Kyle Davidson when piecing together the roster to close out the campaign, but the depth in Rockford makes things much more manageable.

A few veterans have fallen victim to the injury bug this year, with the most notable being Jason Dickinson. The 29-year-old forward is out for the season with a wrist injury and will finish his third season as a Blackhawk playing in only 59 games.

Chicago had one more call up spot to use of their four after the trade deadline, and the origination made the move on Thursday that many fans had been anticipating for weeks.

Chicago Blackhawks call up Kevin Korchinski

Per reports, Korchinski will return to Chicago for his second stint of the campaign. The 2022 first round draft choice has played in nine games at the NHL level this year and has yet to record a point. Korchinski has spent most of this season down in Rockford after he logged 76 games with the Blackhawks a year ago in his rookie campaign.

Korchinski had five goals and 10 assists last year to pair with his brutal -39 plus/minus rating. The front office knew that they had to give the young blue liner a stronger opportunity to develop thus year and him finally being eligible to play in the AHL was the perfect scenario.

Korchinski will join another young defenseman who he played a lot with in Rockford. Artyom Levshunov has been impressive thus far since making his NHL debut a couple of weeks ago and he’ll potentially get a shot to work with Korchinski more in a Chicago sweater.

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Even though the 2024-2025 Chicago Blackhawks season has been extremely disappointing, there is still a prominent bright spot regarding the season. That bright spot is the young core of players and the improvement they have shown in the back half of the season.

Connor Bedard has had an up-and-down season but has shown to everyone that he will eventually become one of the best players in hockey. Frank Nazar, Nolan Allen, and Colton Dach have all shown that they are key pieces to the puzzle for the Blackhawks. The young core has been much more fun to watch as of late since the Seth Jones trade. However, the Blackhawks are in the midst of a five-game losing streak, including four straight losses on the road.

The biggest bright spot of this stretch has been the playing of 2024 first-round draft pick Artyom Levshunov. The Hawks rookie made his debut on March 10th against the Avalanche. Levshunov impressed many since his NHL, including Hawks defensemen Alex Vlasic.

On CHGO’s Blackhawks podcast, Vlasic gave a scouting report on the rookie defenseman.

The Chicago Blackhawks defenseman explained how Levshunov is getting his confidence up every day

Vlasic discussed on the podcast that the rookie has felt very comfortable since being called up from the AHL.

“He doesn’t look like he has any stress out there. He looks confident and calm with the puck. I’ve been impressed with his ability to break pucks out almost by himself.”

Alex Vlasic says Artyom Levshunov is getting more comfortable by the day in the NHL pic.twitter.com/6bhVpHqxzr

— CHGO Blackhawks (@CHGO_Blackhawks) March 19, 2025

Levshunov has impressed many, including Vlasic for his skating ability and toughness as well. Vlasic explained how the rookie has been able to “throw somebody on his back, shake him off and then skate up the ice”. Levshunov has slowly been improving his offensive game as well.

The Chicago Blackhawks rookie has gotten two points in his last two games

The 2024 second-overall draft pick has recorded a primary assist in his last two games, with his last being in the 6-2 loss against Seattle

Artyom Levshunov with a primary assist for the second straight game. I love how excited he was for Connor Bedard. Kid is full of joy. #Blackhawks https://t.co/DeaRQ9GW2a

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) March 19, 2025

The Blackhawks clearly have needed much improvement on the defensive side of the puck as well. They need to have a top defensive pairing. Vlasic signed for a six-year extension in 2024, and hopefully, Levshunov can be by his side in the near future. Hopefully, both will be major parts of the Blackhawks’ future success in the coming years.

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The second overall pick in the 2024 NHL draft finally got his shot with the Chicago Blackhawks in the NHL last week and has played four solid games so far. Artyom Levshunov began the season in Rockford after signing his entry level deal over the summer.

Many throughout the organization were impressed with his development from the jump in the AHL this season and knew that he just needed an opening on Chicago’s roster to have a legitimate chance to crack the surface.

When the front office made the decision to trade Seth Jones to the Florida Panthers less than a week before the deadline, signs pointed to Levshunov’s number being called up for his first stint in the NHL. The Jones trade has allowed for some of Chicago’s young blue liners to work into the lineup more consistently.

Along with Levshunov, Ethan Del Mastro and Wyatt Kaiser have seen success after getting into the fray on a nightly basis. Levshunov has made the most of the opportunities that he has received early on with the Blackhawks and has been a factor in a plethora of ways.

Artyom Levshunov is leading the Chicago Blackhawks in ice time

Despite Chicago losing all four of Levshunov’s NHL games so far, the coaching staff has not been shy in terms of getting him on the ice early and often. The former Michigan State Spartan has eclipsed 20 minutes on the ice in three of his four games played in and led the team with 22:39 played in Saturday’s 6-2 loss in Vancouver.

Interim head coach Anders Sorensen giving Levshunov the reigns not only shows confidence in his abilities right now, but an understanding of the rookie’s long-term role with the organization. Plenty of pressure is on Levshunov to be successful as early as possible based on when he was selected in the draft this past summer.

The fact that Levshunov has only seen his ice time increase or hover around a similar mark to begin his career means that he’s doing something right out there. Plenty of scouts have noted how well he has skated and held his own from a physical standpoint, which will only earn him more run moving forward.

The Chicago Blackhawks might have something in Artyom Levshunov

Levshunov has two assists in his first four games, including a helper to Connor Bedard in Tuesday night’s 6-2 home loss to the Kraken. The future of those two playing alongside one another is a fun sight to see for Blackhawks fans, and it was the only thing that put a smile on their faces in a loss where Seattle scored four goals in the second period.

Having a defensemen of Levshunov’s caliber is a something that Chicago needs to make sure they utilize to the best of their abilities. The physical side of his game is easy to see based on his frame, but it’s his ceiling in the offensive department that catches everyone’s eye. If he can help generate offense the way he has over the last couple of seasons in college and the USHL, things could get very exciting.

Levshunov already being the quarterback of the first power-play unit is all people need to know about how the coaching staff views his offensive traits. He doesn’t need to light the world on fire by buring pucks in the net, but creating plenty of chances for those around him should be the name of the game for the 19-year-old.

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The Chicago Blackhawks front office swung a couple of significant trades before the deadline this season while keeping an important veteran that most thought they would move off. Ryan Donato remained with the franchise after the deadline after it was reported that Chicago did not receive a higher offer than a third-round draft choice for his services.

Taylor Hall was shipped to Carolina in a three-team deal back in January that involved Mikko Rantanen going to the Hurricanes and Martin Necas to the Avalanche. Chicago got their own third round pick in 2025 as the return for Hall, but it was the next big trade that truly shook up the organization in a major way.

Veteran defenseman and Alternate Captain Seth Jones was dealt to the Florida Panthers less than a week before the deadline. The Blackhawks front office got an eye-popping return for Jones in young netminder Spencer Knight and a future first-round pick. To make matters even better for Chicago, they only have to pay $2.5 million of Jones’ $9.5 million dollar salary moving forward.

Jones had been consistent piece in the Blackhawks’ defensive plans throughout his time in the Windy City, but his play to begin his tenure in Florida shows that Chicago might be better off down the road.

The Chicago Blackhawks have won the Seth Jones deal so far

Jones hasn’t been as productive as the Panthers would have liked him to be so far on either end of the ice. On the defensive side, things have not been pretty for the veteran in five on five play.

The Florida Panthers have been outscored 6-1 with Seth Jones on the ice in 5v5 in his first seven games. He has a 41.61 expected goals percentage.

— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) March 17, 2025

The 30-year-old was originally the second right-shot defenseman upon his arrival in Florida, but that quickly changed after Aaron Ekblad was suspended for 20 games  for violating the league’s PED policy. Jones being elevated to the top pairing has certainly hurt the Panthers more than it has helped them, which makes the trade look even stronger for the Blackhawks.

The departure of Jones has allowed for defensemen of the future to come up and get plenty of NHL ice time on a more consistent basis. Wyatt Kaiser has been playing some of his best hockey over the past few weeks and Ethan Del Mastro has been drawing into the lineup every game which is great to see. Most notably, the call-up of last year’s number two overall pick, Artyom Levshunov, was the biggest move made by the front office due to the Jones trade.

All of the Chicago Blackhawks draft capital can be used differently

With this deal, the Blackhawks will have held multiple first round picks in every draft spanning from 2022 through 2026. While it is good to have a stockpile of picks when looking to build a roster for the future, something might have to change with Chicago’s draft capital.

The team’s prospect pool is already crowded as it is, and the front office could use their surplus of picks to change that. Kyle Davidson can finally start pushing his chips forward with these assets by dealing them for established NHL pieces that are on the younger side.

They were a potential suitor for Buffalo’s JJ Peterka at the deadline when it was known that the Sabres could look to ship him out. Chicago has more than enough ammo to pursue Peterka or players similar to him this offseason with their assets if they choose to go down that road.

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The future of the blue line for the Chicago Blackhawks is as bright as ever despite the team trading away Seth Jones to the Florida Panthers on Saturday. General manager Kyle Davidson has done a good job over the past few drafts bringing in defensemen that have projected well for the team’s future. While many of them are still playing at the amateur level, that will soon change.

A few younger faces that are featured in the future of the team’s defensive core are already at the NHL level. Alex Vlasic earned himself a contract extension a season ago and appears to be a top-pair guy for the foreseeable future. Ethan Del Mastro has benefitted from minutes over the past two weeks and has looked much more confident because of that. He lit the lamp for the first time in his career last Thursday against Las Vegas and he scored again on Monday at home against the Kings.

Nolan Allan and Kevin Korchinski have bounced around between the AHL and Chicago this year. Allan has gotten much more run at the NHL level, but is currently in Rockford. He was a first round pick of the Blackhawks in 2021 and has showed promise when given chances with the big club this season. Korchinski was a top-ten pick in the 2022 draft and it is perceived that he will be a full-time member of the team next season.

Multiple high draft picks have gone toward the blue line over the past handful of seasons, but upgrading the right defenseman slot became a priority as of late. A project prospect of the Blackhawks has turned heads at the collegiate level and will become well known to fans in the near future.

Chicago Blackhawks’ Sam Rinzel compared to Brock Faber

Sam Rinzel was a first round pick of the Blackhawks in the 2022 draft. Taken 25th overall in a trade up for Chicago that also came with veteran goaltender Petr Mrazek, the youngster was seen as a developmental piece at the time. Things are going well for him at the collegiate level and insiders are taking notice. Frank Seravalli of the DFO Rundown Podcast had high praise for Rinzel.

“They (Chicago) have elite pieces in their pipeline,” Seravalli said. “Sam Rinzel, I think, is the next Brock Faber.”

Anytime someone is put in the same sentence as Brock Faber, it’s worth paying attention to. Faber is 22-years-old and like Rinzel, played his college hockey at Minnesota. The current Minnesota Wild defenseman played for Team USA in the Four Nations tournament and is seen as one of the brightest young players in the NHL today.

Rinzel is currently in the running for the Hobey Baker award, given to the best collegiate hockey player in the country every single year. He has posted nine goals and 18 assists in 36 games while having a plus/minus rating of +12.

Chicago Blackhawks fans could see Sam Rinzel very soon

With Rinzel currently in his second season with the Golden Gophers and him making the leap to signing his entry level deal at the end of the year isn’t unheard of. If this comes to fruition it could be very similar to what young forward Frank Nazar did a season ago. Nazar signed with Chicago following his campaign at the University of Michigan with three games to go in the regular season. After playing in those games with the Blackhawks, he began this year down in Rockford before he got called up in December.

Whether Rinzel is with the team to begin next season or not, it appears that the swing that the front office took on him almost three years ago could pay off. Have a right side of him and 2024 number two overall pick Artyom Levshunov is fun thought for fans. Pairing those two with Korchinski and Vlasic would be a recipe for success as the top four blue liners for the teams’ next big playoff run.

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The young core at the NHL level right now for the Chicago Blackhawks will remain the primary focus for the front office after the Four Nations break. Entering Sunday night’s game against the Maple Leafs, the team has 41 points on the season with a 17-32-7 record. They are four points ahead of the San Jose Sharks who are last in the league and would have a guaranteed top-three pick in the draft if the season ended today.

Kyle Davidson’s plan to rebuild this roster has taken plenty of time and the fans have certainly grown frustrated over sitting in the league’s basement. A majority of the Blackhawks prospect pool is playing at the amateur level right now, meaning most of them are at least one or two years away from reaching the NHL at the earliest.

Some impressive strides have been made by the pieces of this developing core that have joined Connor Bedard this season. Even though more new faces are on the defensive side of things this season, a forward who was called up for his second stint with the franchise in December has made his presence known over the past month.

Frank Nazar is heating up for the Chicago Blackhawks

Frank Nazar is ahead of the pack in scoring among his rookie counterparts in the NHL over the last month. The former Michigan Wolverine has three goals and five assists in 11 games since January 18 which ties him for the most points by a rookie in that stretch in the league with eight.

Since Jan. 18, Frank Nazar has eight points (3G, 5A) in 11 games, tying him for the most among NHL rookies in that span.

https://t.co/g0XySqQzmn pic.twitter.com/7BSB9JwpaV

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) February 23, 2025

In his 27 games with the Blackhawks this season, Nazar has four goals and seven helpers. He scored his first career NHL goal last year in his first game. Nazar was a highly decorated collegiate player in his time at Michigan as he was a point-per-game guy last season.

The Chicago Blackhawks will rely on Frank Nazar heavily

Nazar was the 13th overall draft choice of the Blackhawks in the 2022 draft. The pick was acquired in the Kirby Dach trade with the Montreal Canadians, and the Blackhawks look like early winners in that transaction at the moment. Nazar went back to Michigan for his Sophomore season last year due to an injury he sustained as a Freshman that limited him to seven games in 2022.

Based on how high he was drafted, the label of Nazar being a top-six forward for the organization down the road makes plenty of sense. His draft class was the true beginning of the full-scale rebuild in Chicago as he was taken in the first round along with defensemen Kevin Korchinski and Sam Rinzel.

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There is no secret that the Chicago Blackhawks and veteran defenseman Seth Jones are lookin to mutually part ways at this year’s NHL trade deadline. He signed an an eight-year, $76 million dollar deal with the Blackhawks after being acquired by the team in 2021. Money will be the toughest part of moving the 30-year-old, as he is owed $9.5 million per season over the course of the next five years.

The Blackhawks have already shipped out one of their veterans this season and it’s been nearly a month since they did so. After spending a year and a half with the franchise, Taylor Hall was sent to Carolina as a part of a three team trading involving the Colorado Avalanche on January 23. Chicago received their own third round draft choice in the 2025 draft as a return for the forward, while retaining part of star goal-scorer Mikko Rantanen’s salary for the rest of the season.

There should be multiple suitors for Jones if the Blackhawks can make things work financially. Plenty of signs point to the right-shot defenseman being on his way out of the Windy City, but nothing is for certain until everything gets across the finish line with terms in a deal.

Seth Jones acknowledges the rough stretches he has been a part of

Jones mentioned the rough stretch of the rebuild that the Blackhawks organization has being going through for most of his time in Chicago with the media on Friday.

“I’ve been here the last four years, through probably the darkest times the Blackhawks have seen in a while, Jones said. “I think things are moving up and moving forward, but my timeline might be different than Kyle and Norm’s and the Blackhawks’. It’s nothing against anybody; I’m not holding it against anybody, what they decided to do here. But sometimes it’s not in everyone’s plans.”

The dark times that Jones talks about haven’t been seen in Chicago from a hockey standpoint since the early 2000s. The team has held top picks in the draft over the past couple of seasons, and are in a prime position to land a guaranteed top-five choice in this summer’s draft.

It’s easy to say that the basement is a place where the Blackhawks and their fans have gotten used to over the last handful of years. While the prospect pool that the organization holds gives strong promise toward the future, something needs to be done entering next year to get out of the bottom three spots in the league.

The Chicago Blackhawks front office has urgency in these trade talks

With a big free agency class on the horizon this summer, Kyle Davidson and his team know how important it is to get as much money off the books as possible. The same report from Jones’ comments with the media on Friday also said that the idea of this trade possibility has been “thrown around” for a little while now and they want to “push the needle” toward getting a deal done.

Not only would a Jones trade give Chicago even more cap relief, it would also provide the young defensemen in the organization to get consistent NHL minutes. Ethan Del Mastro has been bouncing back and forth between the AHL and Chicago this season, so he could reap the benefits of a deal being made here. 2024 second overall pick Artyom Levshunov might also get a shot to make his NHL debut near the end of the season as well if the front office can find a good enough trade offer for Jones.

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The Chicago Blackhawks are expected to be quieter at this year’s trade deadline compared to previous seasons, but that doesn’t mean moves won’t be made by the front office in the coming weeks. Despite the fact that the organization should be involved in taking swings at the big free agents this offseason, there are some expiring contracts on their books and overpaid veterans that don’t serve as a big of a purpose with the team as originally hoped.

Taylor Hall was the first trade chip to be dealt out just under a month ago. The veteran forward was sent to the Carolina Hurricanes as part of a three team trade with the Colorado Avalanche where Chicago received their own third round draft choice in return.

The other experienced forward who is a trade target for contending teams at the deadline off the Blackhawks roster is Ryan Donato. A second year Blackhawk, Donato already has the most goals in a single season in his entire career (19) in 53 games so far this season. The front office could be on the fence about moving Donato, but his expiring contract might trump anything else at the end of the day.

Another well-respected veteran in Chicago doesn’t have his contract expiring anytime soon, but his name is continuously swirling in trade rumors. The latest report on the defensemen is that he is working directly with the Blackhawks front office to potentially facilitate a deal prior to the March 7 deadline.

Seth Jones is working with the Chicago Blackhawks in seeking a trade

Seth Jones is still on the hook in Chicago for five more years following this season. He signed an an eight-year, $76 million dollar deal with the Blackhawks after being acquired by the team in 2021. Jones acknowledges that money will be the hardest thing to get a trade over the finish line, as he is owed $9.5 million per year for the next five seasons.

“I would like to give myself a chance to win in my career. I know that the money is not an easy thing to move, and that’s what we’re figuring out,” Jones said. 

A team like the Dallas Stars comes to mind when looking at a potential trade partner for the 30-year-old. They made a move for a veteran right shot defenseman at last years trade deadline in Chris Tanev, and they could look to do the same thing a season later.

The Chicago Blackhawks future benefits from a Seth Jones trade

Moving Jones off the current roster would help Chicago’s defensive core of the future take shape sooner. Artyom Levshunov is currently developing in the AHL, but there is no saying that the number two overall pick of last summer’s draft can’t get a run with the Blackhawks before the season comes to a close.

Other young defensemen like Ethan Del Mastro have been taxied between Rockford and Chicago all season long. These players could have more chances to stick in the NHL as well if Jones is no longer with the organization.

Chicago should be in on Mitch Marner and Mikko Rantanen in free agency this offseason for the sake of giving Connor Bedard so immediate scoring assistance. Either player will cost decent chunk of change in the open market, and getting at least some of Jones’ deal off the books as soon as possible could help the front office swing a solid contract offer for an impact piece this summer.

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The Chicago Blackhawks future remains as bright as can be based on how well general manager Kyle Davidson has drafted on a yearly basis. While the product on the ice at the NHL level is not what Chicago’s front office was looking for at this point in the season, the larger focus of this team’s future remains on the forefront.

Davidson talked with the media at the end of January and made it known that he is more than fine with the state of the rebuild despite the struggles at the top. A big reason for his overall calm demeanor about the long term outlook of the franchise was based on the fact that most of their prospects haven’t gotten out of the amateur level yet.

In Scott Wheeler’s latest prospect rankings through the Athletic, he was very kind to the Blackhawks. He put seven Chicago Blackhawks’ prospects in his top 100 and had plenty of positive things to say about all of them. A majority of the prospects in Wheeler’s rankings are either playing in college or juniors, with three of them floating between the NHL and Rockford.

Five Chicago Blackhawks amateurs cracked Scott Wheeler’s Top 100

Nick Lardis, Oliver Moore, Sam Rinzel and Sacha Boisvert are the four amateur prospects that Wheeler ranked inside his top 100. Rinzel was place in “Tier 5” as his 54th ranked prospect, while the other three were all in “Tier 6”. Moore was ranked he highest of the bunch in the sixth tier at 64, with Boisvert being slotted in at 79 and Lardis at 94.

Rinzel has been the prospect that has grown the most since being a first round draft pick in 2022. His strides taken from his first season at Minnesota until now is a major reason for his near top-50 ranking in Wheeler’s book.

“Rinzel’s appeal is all about the potential because it has always felt like he’s just scratching the surface, but some of that is really starting to be scratched now,” Wheeler writes. He, like Nazar but even more so, found another level after returning from the World Juniors last season and hasn’t looked back, climbing a steep incline in his progression to become one of the top defensemen in college hockey as a sophomore this season.”

Moore has been moved up to the top line at Minnesota and could potentially sign his entry level deal with Chicago in the near future. Boisvert is in the middle of his first college season at North Dakota and has 20 points in 27 games. He has impressed early at the collegiate level after being a force in the USHL over the past two years with the Muskegon Lumberjacks.

Lardis has been a premier goal scorer in the OHL this year. The 2023 third round draft choice has scored 52 goals in 50 games and is on pace to have 114 points in his final year with the Brantford Bulldogs. Connor Bedard is in desperate need of scoring help moving forward, and having guys in the Chicago Blackhawks’ prospect pool that can find the back of the net early and often is crucial.

Kevin Korchinski and others got some recognition as well

Korchinski has floated around between Rockford and the NHL this season. His development from last year to now has been very apparent and his first stint with Chicago this year was by far the best he looked in a Blackhawks sweater.

The 2024 number two overall pick, Artyom Levshunov made the list as well. He is Chicago’s highest ranked prospect according to Wheeler, coming in at number three in the top 100. The front office electing to go with the Michigan State Spartan over other notable forwards on the board shows how much they prioritized locking down the defensive core.

Frank Nazar is the only prospect on the list who has gotten consistent run in the NHL this season. He is ranked one spot ahead of Korchinski at 27 and was drafted in the first round back in 2022 as well. Nazar has four goals and six assists in 26 NHL games this season and he will be a pivotal part of the organization’s future.

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The Chicago Blackhawks have seen some turnover over the last few weeks after Taylor Hall was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2025 third round draft pick. With the youngsters in the organization getting a chance to prove themselves at the NHL level, more opportunities will be made for players down in Rockford to get their turn as the season progresses.

General manager Kyle Davidson spoke with the media last week and was confident on the current state of the team’s rebuild with the calendar turning to 2025. Most of the franchise’s top names in their prospect pool are playing at the amateur level and are just scratching the surface of what they can be in the future.

Another big piece of Chicago’s rebuild will get a taste of being in the show this week. The number two overall pick of the 2024 draft, Artyom Levshunov has been called up from Rockford, per reports. The former Michigan State Spartan signed his entry level deal right off the bat and has been developing in the AHL all season. His first NHL chance will be interesting compared to other call-ups that players receive, but it will still be massive for his overall development.

Artyom Levshunov’s first Chicago Blackhawks’ stint will be different

Despite Levshunov getting the call, he won’t be playing in any NHL games. Davidson stated that the AHL All-Star break gives the young defensemen a good chance to run with the big club before heading back to Rockford.

“With the AHL currently in their All-Star break, we felt this would be a good opportunity for Arty’s development to come and get some NHL-level practice experience, something he was not able to do during training camp this season due to injury,” Davidson said. “While we don’t expect him to see any game action during his recall, we’re confident the experience will be a positive one fir Arty as he continues on his development path.”

The fact that the Blackhawks front office thinks highly enough of the 19-year-old to give him this call is good to see for fans. In 38 games with the IceHogs this season, Levshunov has three goals and 10 assists for 13 points to along with his plus/minus of -5.

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The Chicago Blackhawks enter play against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night with the second-lowest point total in the NHL. Through 49 games, the team has a 15-29-5 and 35 points, just one point ahead of the San Jose Sharks.

It hasn’t been the season that the fanbase and those around the organization had originally anticipated that it would be. While the Blackhawks weren’t supposed to be in the hunt for a playoff spot, hanging out in the league’s basement for another season wasn’t the main expectation.

Despite the struggles, the plan in place is still one that the organization has the highest belief in. What Chicago has in their prospect pool is special, it’s just all about playing the waiting game and giving these young players time to develop before hitting NHL ice. General manager Kyle Davidson went into further depth on where the rebuild stands right now in a press conference held on Monday.

Kyle Davidson provided a statement on the state of the rebuild

Davidson acknowledged the fact that this season of Chicago Blackhawks hockey has been a disappointing one. The ups and downs have been apparent, and having to fire head coach Luke Richardson wasn’t apart of the plan. Either way, his vision remains locked in on the future and what the front office has done in the past few drafts.

“In terms of a rebuild and building up through our young players, a lot of the players are still in amateur hockey, so we’re not out of that,” Davidson said. “We can’t lose sight of that. Did I expect us to be better than second last? I did. But that doesn’t at all mean that I’m concerned about the bigger picture here, about the bigger process at play here in terms of where we’re headed and how good this group and this young group coming up can be. That hasn’t changed at all.”

Despite the down year, Davidson remains positive about what Chicago has internally. If anything, he is in a better place mentally about the trajectory of the franchise now than over the summer.

“I’m probably more optimistic having seen the years our young players are having throughout the organization,” he said. I’m probably more optimistic now than I was in the summer in that respect.

Davidson’s second first round draft choice that he made over the summer likely is a major part of that optimism. Sacha Boisvert is enjoying a successful freshman season at the University of North Dakota after being selected 18th overall in the draft.

Boisvert has nine goals and nine assists through 23 games in his first season of collegiate hockey. After averaging over one point per game in the USHL last year, the 18-year-old has adjusted well to NCAA competition. The hope for Boisvert is that he can center one of the top two lines in Chicago for a very long time.

The Chicago Blackhawks prospect pool is just getting started

Along with Boisvert, the Chicago Blackhawks have other prospects that are thriving. Forward Nick Lardis is another fantastic player that has been lighting up the OHL this year. A third round pick in 2023, Lardis has 41 goals and 31 assists (72 points) in just 42 games this season. The 19-year-old was the first player in the OHL to hit the 40 goal mark this season and he has done so with ease.

Oliver Moore is showing tremendous strides in his second season at the University of Minnesota and should be signing his NHL entry level contract relatively soon.

On the defensive side of things, Artyom Levshunov is currently developing nicely in Rockford. The number two overall pick in the 2024 draft is playing well with his frame and has been seeing plenty of opportunities to get better everyday. Sam Rinzel is working on his game along with Moore at Minnesota. The 2022 first round pick has 25 points in 28 with the Gophers and has been a shutdown guy defensively. His offensive uptick elevates his ceiling as to what he could be at the NHL level.

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The Chicago Blackhawks are already looking ahead to the March 7 trade deadline with some options to deal off their current roster. Two early candidates are forwards Ryan Donato and Taylor Hall. Both veteran forwards are on expiring contracts when the season comes to a close, and with the Blackhawks currently sitting tied for last in the entire league in points it makes sense to trade them away for the right price.

There are multiple veterans on the squad that don’t appear to be heading anywhere in March, regardless of the success that they are having this year. It is important for the front office to keep some consistent pieces around Connor Bedard and the rest of Chicago’s young blossoming core. A late rumor has a key member of Chicago’s defensive group in trade talks.

Chicago Blackhawks’ Seth Jones is in trade talks

Despite being on a massive contract with plenty of control, the Spittin Chiclets podcast has reason to believe that Seth Jones is a name being tossed around in trade rumors. Jones has played in 31 games this season and has four goals and 16 assists to go along with his plus/minus rating of -11.

“Teams apparently are calling,” Ryan Whitney said. “Dallas is one of the teams being thrown out there.”

When Whitney asked co-host Paul Bissonnette about his thought regarding Jones on a team like the Stars, he brought up a parallel to a pervious deadline move in the NHL.

“I think that Seth Jones on a team (like the Stars), considering when (Chris) Tanev went to Dallas, everything he provided for them, I’m not saying Jones is him, but I will say from watching games he’s been in this year he looked a lot more fluid than in year’s past,” Bissonnette said.

Tanev was shipped to Dallas from Calgary last season after playing in 56 games with the Flames. The now 35-year-old was exactly what he Stars needed to close out the season. He served as a veteran right-defenseman who didn’t put up gaudy numbers, but stayed consistent and did the job that was asked of him without taking too many mistakes.

Jones could serve a similar purpose on a team like Dallas, but his contract means that he would be more than just a short-term option. The Stars would have to keep Jones around for another five seasons and likely pay a good amount of his $9.5 million salary per year.

The yearly salary will be a big issue for Chicago and getting any deal for Jones over the finish line. The team will have to pick up at least half of his salary per season to make something work, and even then they might not get the return that they are looking for.

A Seth Jones trade would pave the way for a new wave of defensemen

Dealing Jones away would officially open the flood gates for the future defensive core in Chicago. Alex Vlasic is just the tip of the iceberg when to comes to seeing what the franchise has in store on the back end down the road. 2024 first round draft pick Artyom Levshunov is currently developing in Rockford and looks to be a future star in the making based on his build.

Sam Rinzel has been making waves this season at Minnesota, giving Blackhawk fans plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the right side defense for years to come. Along with these three, Nolan Allen is putting together a fine first season in the NHL, and Ethan Del Mastro just called up from Rockford on Thursday to return to the NHL for the first time this season.

If the Blackhawks can find a trade for Jones that makes sense in terms of finances and the return for the 30-year-old, there is no reason to not go through with it if you are general manager Kyle Davidson.

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When looking ahead at the trade deadline in March, the Chicago Blackhawks should be prepared to sell yet again. It was two seasons ago when the organization made the tough decision to trade away Patrick Kane to the New York Rangers, a deal that shattered the hearts of Blackhawks fans everywhere.

Now, making deals in March is something that those following the team have gotten used to. While the trade they made today isn’t to the level of a Kane deal, it still hints at what is to come down the road.

The organization agreed to a trade on Wednesday that will send Isaak Phillips to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for Dmitry Kuzmin. It is a change of scenery for both defensemen who will look to spark something in their games with their new clubs.

The Chicago Blackhawks give up NHL level depth in Isaak Phillips

Phillips was a fifth round draft choice of the Blackhawks in the 2020 draft. He made his NHL debut a season later as a 20-year-old and played in four games in the 2021-22 campaign. Phillips spent most of his time with the Blackhawks bouncing back-and-forth between the NHL and Rockford. In his second professional season, he played in 16 NHL games where he scored his first career goal and had four assists.

The big leap in terms of playing time for Phillips at the NHL level came a season ago. The left-shot defenseman logged 56 games in Chicago and had six assists. Unfortunately for Phillips, he posted a plus/minus of -26. It didn’t help that the Blackhawks struggled mightily last season and Alex Vlasic was the only player on the roster to post a somewhat respectable plus/minus mark.

Phillips spent a majority of this season in the AHL prior to this deal. He only played in three games with the Blackhawks, and he netted his second career goal in his limited NHL playing time this year. Phillips brings solid size to the table at 6’3, 205 lbs. He will look to use his projectable frame to make a name of himself with the Jets.

Dmitry Kuzmin will look to shake things up in Rockford

Chicago is getting a fellow left-shot defenseman in this deal. Kuzmin is 21-years-old and has not played a single NHL game yet in his career. The 2021 third round draft choice cracked the AHL roster in the Winnipeg organization this season. In 21 games with the Manitoba Moose, Kuzmin posted a goal with three assists and a plus/minus of -9.

The young defensemen joins his fellow countryman, Artyom Levshunov in Rockford in result of this trade. Kuzmin brings more depth to an IceHog defensive core that has been dealing with injuries as of late. With Phillips gone, Kuzmin could be seen as an obvious replacement. However, that might not be the only reason why he was the piece that the Blackhawks got back in this trade.

Ethan Del Mastro is a young defensemen in Rockford that has been looking for an opportunity to get the NHL more consistently. Phillips was the guy that the team used more often than not as a guy they would move up-and-down frequently. Del Mastro could be the next man up in taking that role from Phillips in this scenario, despite his inconsistent play to end 2024.

Louis Crevier is another blue liner who has impressed the Chicago coaching staff in his most recent stint with the team. This trade of Phillips could also be a notion of them having more faith in Creiver’s abilities and ceiling moving forward than his.

The front office views a couple of the young defensemen in Rockford very highly and as guys they can build around moving forward. Trading away a guy like Phillips just opens up more opportunities for these players to shine through on the big stage.

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One year after selecting Connor Bedard, the Chicago Blackhawks picked Artyom Levshunov, a projected top-line defender

The Chicago Blackhawks have a top-two draft pick for the second year. This year the Hawks decided to go defense and selected Artyom Levshunov with the No.2 pick.

Levshunov becomes the highest-picked Belarus native in NHL history. Levshunov is coming off of a solid freshman year at Michigan State. He recorded 35 points on nine goals and 26 assists in 38 games. Standing at 6′ 2″ and weighing 210 pounds, the 18-year-old Levshunov is already a physical presence on the ice.

How Levshunov fits the Blackhawks’ rebuild plans

Levshunov slides into a major area of need for the Chicago Blackhawks. The defense was one of the team’s biggest weaknesses in the 2023 season. Giving up goals often put the young inexperienced Blackhawks in early holes that they struggled to get out of.

The team found success by lighting the lamp first, and not going down by multiple goals early. The Hawks lacked veteran depth in their defense core. Which left young players like Korchinski and Vlasic to carry a large workload. Adding Levshunov should help balance some of the ice time with the other young defensemen.

Levshunov has a decent eye for setting up offense in the opponent’s zone. Strong vision and passing skills allow him to find teammates in a position to shoot.

However, Levshunov can sometimes find himself overextending into the offensive zone and leaving the door open for breakaway chances.

This can be fixed. Levshunov will have the chance to learn from his teammates and coaches once he arrives at the Blackhawks training facility. NHL experience could also help the rookie overcome this issue. For a player physically ready for the league like Levshunov, experience might be the best tool.

Takeaway’s from the Blackhawks pick

Levshunov was the safe pick with the No.2 selection. Levshunov was the highest-rated defenseman in a very deep defensive 2024 NHL draft class (although, it was a close call between Levshunov and Ivan Demidov for best d-man). Levshunov is a relatively complete prospect, he has the physical attributes you want from a young D man in the NHL.

Regardless of being safe or not, this pick is still good for the Blackhawks. Levshunov being added to the roster adds more talent. At this point in the rebuild, that is what the team needs. Levshunov doesn’t need to become fellow MSU Spartan Duncan Keith, who helped the Blackhawks secure three Stanley Cup championships. But if he does, that would be great.

Levshunov needs to be the best player he can be. Whether that is a top line defenseman with Kevin Korchinski or Alex Vlasic, or maybe he’s a second or third line defenseman in the future.

Ideally, you want your top two draft pick to be a first liner. Fortunately, the Blackhawks have the luxury of having more defensive prospects on the way. Still to come within the Hawks’ system are Sam Rinzel, Wyatt Kaiser, Ethan Del Mastro and Nolan Allan. All are on the way. The Blackhawks have more chances at elite defensemen if Levshunov isn’t.

Artyom Levshunov is a good hockey player. He was high on many draft boards for a reason. He is was highly valued as a prospect. If the Chicago Blackhawks hadn’t drafted him, another team in the top 5 likely would have.

Connor Bedard is sill very young. He will be 19 when the 2024 NHL season starts. There is still time to build a championship roster around him. Levshunov may not be a flashy pick, but he should be solid. Only time will tell if he will be able to take a step up and become a great pick.

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